58
NON - DELIVERY
LETTER POST
An undeliverable letter, postcard, small packet, printed paper, commercial paper or sample returned to this Colony from abroad, bearing on the outside the full name and address of the sender, is returned direct and unopened on payment of any charges due. Any other such undeliverable packet is opened by an officer deputed for the purpose; and if it contains the sender's address is returned to him.
An undeliverable printed paper of no value is not returned unless the sender, by means of a note on the outside of the packet in a language known in the country of destination, has asked for its return.
EARLY RETURN TO SENDER
If a sender's name and address are written on the outside of a packet the Post Office can return it immediately, if for some reason it cannot be delivered. The sender's name and address should be shown either on the back of the envelope or wrapper, or to the left of the address side; but if shown on the address side there should be no question of it being mistakenly read as the name and address of the addressee.
PARCELS
A parcel which cannot be delivered abroad is normally returned to the sender in due course (that is, after the expiry of the normal period for which it may be held at the disposal of the addressed in the country of destination), without previous notifica- tion, unless he has requested otherwise at the time of posting. The sender of an undeliverable parcel which is returned either by air or surface route forthwith or in due course is responsible for the return charges. The sender of a parcel which has been abandoned, sold or destroyed in the country of destination is also responsible for any charges which may subsequently be raised by the distant postal administration.
The return charges on an undeliverable parcel include postage, generally equivalent to the outward charge, and in many cases charges levied abroad for warehousing and so on. Customs duty raised on a parcel abroad is generally cancelled if the parcel is returned, but on parcels sent back from the Republic of Colombia, Dominican Republic, Spain and certain French colonies, the customs charges are not cancelled, and must be paid on delivery, in addition to the other charges due.
It is desirable that directions must always be given as to what is to be done with a parcel if it cannot be delivered. Space is provided for this purpose on the adhesive form of customs declaration and on the despatch note. If a despatch note is used, the instructions as to disposal must be written conspicuously on the cover of the parcel as well as on the despatch note.